Certainly the relationship between time and law is a central item, particularly in civil procedure, since civil litigation constitutes a sequence of acts towards a specific goal. Civil procedure can only be conceived in terms of time. However, the speed at which the interests of individuals in civil litigation are taken care of, depends on the efficiency of the administration of justice. The running of time is here decided by powers other than the persons concerned. This is why the time factor in civil procedure is being explored with a growing intensity.